Chain-making machine



E. C. CHRISTIE.

CHAIN MAKING MACHINE.

APPLlcATIoN man JAN. 10. 1919.

Patented Aug. 3, l1920.

2 SHEETS-v-SHEET I.

T11 Verna/or.

, L mm 5 @E i @METEO STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN CHARLES CHRISTIE, OF ST. CATIIARINES, ONTARIO, CANADA, .ASSIGNORTO THE COLUMBUS MCKINNON CHAIN COMPANY, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORA-TION OF OI-IIO.

naasten.

specilication, like characters on the drawf ings representing likeparts.

The invention to' be hereinafter described relates to machines formaking chains, and is an improvement upon the machine shown, describedand claimed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,023,126,granted to `J ames Coulter, April 1G, 1912.

rllhe machine of said patent comprises means for ieeding wire or stockinto the machine, means ior severing` a blank trom said wire ofappropriate length to form alink, means for presenting the blank to aformer, means to bend the ends oi' the blank around the former andtoward one another to forni a link, means to jam the blank Vagainst thei'oriner while the ends are being bent, and means to grasp the link thusformed and turn the same `from a horizontal to a vertical positionappropriate to have a new link blank threaded through the link thusformed, the former being retracted from the link after it has beengrasped by the turning means.

The machine shown in said patent constitutes a good, eliicient mechanismfor making certain types of chains, and is admi-l l rably suited forforming links from lighter grades oli' wire. Il, however, chains are tobe formed of heavytwire, it is Vfound that certain instrume'ntalities ofsaid machine -y are unable to withstand the heavier duty which they arecalled upon toperform. The means in said machine for jamming the linkblank against the former comprises a pair of fingers having ends formedto engage the blank, said fingers being iiulcrumed on studs mounted upona slide, the rear ends of the lingers being provided with pins whichoperate in cam slots. The slide is thrust by a cam toadvance the lingerstoward the former, and in the course of this movement,

the fingers are caused by said pins and vcamy Specification 'of LettersPatent.

CHAIN-MAKIN Gr MACHINE.

Patented Aun. 3, 1920.

Application ined January io, 1919. seriai'ito. 270,548.

cam, the lingers will fail to press orjam the link blank against theformer with Sullicient force. As a consequence, whenL Athe devices forbending the ends ,of theI blank about the former come into play, theblank is liable to slip in the direction of its length relatively to theformer, and the portion of the blank between the Vformer and the fingersis liable to buckle. joint between the ends or' the link may not occurcentrally between the ends of the link.

VIt is customary to weld the ends of the link together in an electricwelding machine provided with electrodes arranged closely together andadapted to engagethe end portions of the link adjacent the joint. If thejoint does not always occur in the same position, the closely disposedelectrodes can not be relied upon to so engage the link as to insureproper welding of the joint.v Therefore, it is important that the linkblank should be held to the former so firmly that there will be nopossibility, of slip ofthe blank relatively to the former,

and no possibility of the joint between the l ends of the link occurringin'improper po-v sition. j 4 t One of the objects of the presentinvention, therefore, isl to provide a strong, simple device forlirmlyjamming or pressing ed to a holder and loosely connected to one- Y Thismeans operatesk another by a link. successfully in grasping and turninglinks As a result, the

formed of lighter grades oi? wire, but does not have the desiredstrength for grasping and turning links formed of the heavier grades ofwire.

Another object of the inventiomtherefore, is to provide strong andsimple means for 'grasping the link and turning the saine fromhorizontal to vertical position in readiness to have a new link blankthreaded therethrough. o

Links successively formed by the machine depend from and are supportedby each link as it is formed in the machine. Where the links are formedof heavier gra-des of wire, the weight of the links carried by a linkjust formed in the machine, becomes considerable. This weight coupledwith the yanking on the chain caused by the rapid turning of the linkfrom horizontal to vertical position, tends to dislocate the link fromits holding means.

Another object of the invention, therefore,is to provide strong andsimple means for holding the same in vertical position while a new blankis threaded therethrough and a link is being formed from said blank.A

YVith the aforesaid and other objects in view, the character of theinvention will be best understood by reference to the followingdescription of one good form of means for carrying the invention intopractical effect, shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a chain makingmachine embodying the invention; f

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line of Fig. 1;

Fig. fl is a perspective view of the devices` for pressing a link blankagainst the former, and for turning the link after being formed fromsaid blank, certain parts being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail showing the parts in theirposition assumed after turning a link from horizontal to verticalposition; and

Fig. G is a sectional detail to' be referred to.

Referring to the drawings, merely so much of the chain making machine isshown therein as is necessary to an understanding of the improvedfeatures.

Any suitable support may be provided for the instrumentalities of the`machine, this support, in thepresent instance. being shown,

in the form of a bed 1 (Fig. 1) which may be mounted on suitable legssuch as 3.

The wire may be fed into the machine and a link blank may `be severedtherefrom in the same manner as in the machine of said patent, andtherefore, it is unnecessary to show means for performing theseoperations herein.. The link blank is.` prese-:lated` to: a

lciprocated as required by a lever 13 pivotally mounted on the bed androcked by a cam 15 having a cain path similar to the cam for the purposeshown in saidpatent.

The link blank 17 (Fig. 1l may be fed and presented to the former 5, andmust be firmly pressed or jammed against the former to prevent slip ofthe blank with respect thereto. The means for holding a blank againstthe former, in the present instance of the invention, comprises a shaft19 mounted in a bore in a rotative holder 21 to be described. suitablebushings 23 and 25 being provided between them. At the front end of theshaft isa head 27 having a shank 29 set in a socket 31 in said shaft andsecured `therein by a screw 33. This head, in the present instance, isbi furcated and formed to present a pair of members 35 havingV a recess37 between them. The ends of the members 35 are formed to present seats39 curved to conform to the transverse contour Vof the link blank.

Suitable means may be provided for moving the shaft 19 longitudinallytoward and from the former at the times required. To

accomplish this. in the present instance, the

rear end of the shaft mav be connected to a slide Ll1 receiving theholder 21 referred to, and adapted toreciprocate in a guide 4:3 mountedon the bed of the machine. To secure the shaft to the slide. an end 45of the shaft 19 may be entered through a hole in the rear end 47 of theslide, and may be.

confined against longitudinal movement with respect to said slide end bya collar L19 on said shaft engaging one face of said slide end e7. andan upset end 51 of said shaft engaging the opposite face of said slideend. To prevent rotation of the shaft, a pin 53 may be entered throughregistering bores in the slide end 47 and the shaft end 415.

Projecting from the slide end is an arm 55 (Fig. 1) having a shaft 57mounted therethe former. y.lt will benoted that the seats 39 engage theblank at spaced pointsat opposite sides of a Vpoint on the blank midwaybetween the ends thereof. `This double point engagement with the blankdesirably contributes to the secure holding of the 'blank-J to theformer. The blank engaging members are relatively rigid, and the headfrom which said members project is rigid with the shaft 19, and saidmembers serve to directly transmit aY powerful thrust from the cam to'press the blank against the former. The device described constitutes astrong, simple construction, able efficiently to hold a blank of heavywire against the former vithout lpossibility of longitudinal slip of theblank with respect to the former when the ends of. the blank are bentaround the former in the production of a link.

Suitable means may be provided toretract the link blank holding members35 away from the former after the link is formed..4 To accomplish this,in the present instance, a roller G7 (Fig. 1) may be mounted on theshaft 19 referred to` and may be actuated by a path cam 69 in a disk 71mounted fast on the shaft 63. The construction is such that in thecourse of the rotation ofL this disk, the cam path will act on theroller' 67 and retract the slide 41 and shaft 19. i Y f j Next will bedescribed the means for grasping the link formed from the blank, and fortuining the same from a horizontal position to a vertical positionappropriate to have a new link blank threaded there; through. Thismeans, in the present instance of the invention, comprises al pair ofstrong, rigid lingers 7 3 having curved seats formed in the ends thereofto engage opposed ends of the link, and having shanks 77 mounted inAlongitudinal groovesin the holder. Suitable means may be provided toconfine the fingers 73 against movement longitudinally with respect tothe holder. For this purpose a split ring 79 maybe mounted in acircumferential groove 81 in the holder, and fit into notches 83 in saidfingers. The ring 79 may have a resilience sufficient to allow slightrocking of the iingers 77 away from one another. Suitable means may beprovided to yieldingly urge the seats 75 of the fingers into stronggripping engagement withtlie opposed vends of the link. rlhis means, inthe present instance, isin the formof an interrupted ring 85 at thefrontend of the holder'. and fitted into notclies87 in the fingers. The endsof the ring may be bent to present hooks 89 connected by a strong coilspring 91. The construction is such that the fingers may spreadsufficiently to receivethe link and tension the coil spring so that thefingers will be pressed securely against the link.

The holder is normally in a position to present the fingers in the sameplane as the link after it has been bent from av blank around theformer. Appropriate means may be provided to advance the fingers towardthe left of Fig. 1 to cause the same to grasp and holdthe link betweenthem. To accomplish this, the rear end of the holder may have acircumferential groove 93 (rig, 6) formed therein receiving a shoe 95having diametrically opposed studs 97 projecting therefrom, andpivotally yconnected toA arms 99 fast on a shaft 101 journaled inbearings in a bracket 103 mounted on the bed of the machine. kialso faston said shaft is an arm 105 having a roller 107 working rin a path cam109 of appropriate contour to cause the fingers to advanceA and graspthe link at the time'required.

After the link rhas been grasped by the lingers, tlieformer 5 referredto, is withdrawn downward from the link, and then the holder should hegiven a rotative movement to turn the linkfrom a horizontal to avertical position in readiness to have a new link blank threadedtherein. To accomplish this, the holder may be formedfto present anelongated tooth portion or pinion 111 meshing with a rack 113 which mayreceive a reciprocatory movement from suitable means, suoli, forexample, as the cam shown in the patent referred to.

The construction is such that through the rack and pinion the holder maybe given a rotative movement sufficiently to turn the link fro'mitshorizontal to its vertical position.

The link should also be moved slightly to the right of Fig. 1, in orderthat the hole in the link will beV inV line with ythe new blank to bethreaded therethrough. This movement is imparted to the holder andfingers by the cam path 109 operating through the arms 105 and99referred to'. The link should be heldin this position for a suflicientperiod to allow the newV link blank to be threaded therethrough. Afterthe link has been moved to this position, the former 5 is elevatedfto`cause the longitudinal groove 7 thereof to receivevcne vside of thelink, as will be noted in Fig. 5. rThen the blank threaded through thelink is bent around the former, and a new link is formed as before. l

As stated, a certain number of links already formed depend from and arecarried by the link heldin vertical position by the fingers; Then theselinks are formed of heavy wire, the weight thereof on the link thus heldin the machine is considerable. Next will be described simple andeffective vertical position. This means, in the present instance, is inthe form of the recess 37 means to assisty in holding the link in its nreferred to, between the members 35 on the head 27 for holding the linkblank against the former. The construction is such that when the head isadvanced to bring said members against the blank, a side of the linkpreviously formed is received by the re-Y cess 37, and the walls of saidrecess are of suliicicnt width to furnishsubstantial support for thelink and prevent the same from being pulled from the fingers 73. Sincethe shaft 19 carrying the head 27 does not rotate, the recess 37 alwaysstands in vertical position, and therefore, should not beadvanced toengage the link until after the link has been turned from its horizontalto its vertical position. The head is advanced at the proper time tocause the recess to receive the link by the cam 6l referred to,operating through the follower 59, slide 41 and shaft 19.

By the invention is provided strong and simple means for securelyholding the blank to the former to insure accurate bending thereof inthe production of a perfect link with its joint at the proper point tobe welded effectively in the welding machine, strong and simple meansfor turning the link from a horizontal to a vertical positionappropriate to have a new link blank threaded therein, and strong andsimple means for holding the link in its vertical position while a blankis threaded therethrough and a new link is being formed therefrom.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiment shown, but that variousdeviations may be made therefromwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed iszn l. In a chain forming machine, the com bination ofa former, rigid members which are unyielding relative to each other toengage a link blank at opposite sides of a point midway between the endsof the blank, and actuating means for said members to cause the latterfirmly to holdthe blank against the former.

2. In a chain forming machine, the combination of a former, anunyielding member to hold a link blank firmly against the former andprovided with a slot to embrace a side ofa previously formed link, andmeans including a part of said holding member to hold a link in positionto have a new blank threaded therein.

3. In. a chain forming machine, the combination of a former, means toturn a link relatively to said former to a position to have a new blankthreaded therein, and a member having a recess therein with walls toengage opposed faces of one of the sides of the link'to help hold thelink in said position.

1l. In a chain forming machine, the combination of a former, means toengage opposed ends of a link and turn the same to a position to have anew blank threaded therein, and means to engage opposed faces of one ofthe long sides of the link to help hold the same in said position.

' 5. In a chain forming machine, the combination of a former forreceiving a link blank, and a single lmember having a part to hold theblank against said `former while the blank is formed into a link and aslot to receive the previously formed link through which said link blankis threaded.

6. In a chainforming machine, the combination of a former for a linkblank, a rotary member having a longitudinal bore therein, a membermounted'in said bore formed to engage and hold the blank against saidformer, and means carried by said rotary member for turning a linkformed from a blank to a position to have a new blank threaded therein.Y

7. In a chain forming machine, the combination of a former for a linkblank, a rotary member, a holding member disposed on the same axis assaid rotary member, means to move said holding memberl to a position tohold the link blank against said former, means carried by the rotarymember to grasp a link formed from said blank, and means to turn saidrotary member and grasping means to turn the link to a position to havea new blank threaded therein.

8. In a chain forming machine, the combination of a former for a linkblank, a bifurcated member having elements to hold the blank against theformer and a recess between said elements to receive a part of apreviously formed link, and means to move said bifurcated member to andfromactive position.

9. In a chain forming machine, the combination of a former for a linkblank, a rotary member having grooves therein, a pair of fingers mountedin said grooves for grasping a link between them, an interrupted ringembracing said fingers and a coil spring connecting the ends of saidring for pressing said fingers against thelink.

10. In a chain forming machine, the combination of a former for a linkblank, a member formed to hold the blank against the former and formedto receive a previously formed link through which the blank is threaded,and means to move said member toward and from the former.

11. In a chain forming machine, the com bination of 4a former for a linkblank, a rotary holder, fingers carried by the holder for grasping alink, means to move the holder axially to present the fingersy to thelink, means to rotate the holder to turn the link to a position to havea new blank threaded therein, a shaft mounted in said holder havingmeans to engage the blank, and means to move said shaft axially to causesaid engaging means to hold the blank against the former.

l2. In a chain forming machine5 the Combination of a former for alinkblank having a groove therein, a rotary member having fingers to engageopposed ends of a link, and a bfureated head having members to hold theblank against the former and a reeessbe- -tween said members4 to receiveone side oi l0 y EDWIN CHARLES CHRISTIE.

